What was this shard, and why was it on Yitian Peak?
What connection did the grey qi have with it?
Qin Sang's mind was full of questions.
He did not even know how the grey qi had appeared in his dantian in the first place.
Earlier, when he had tried to touch the shard with his spiritual power, not only was he not repelled, but he had vaguely felt an inexplicable resonance. Combined with the ancient character 'Kill' inscribed upon it, he couldn't help thinking of several things.
Both of them cultivated the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter.
Passing through the first seven floors of Heaven Tower had already proven that the sword intent lingering here had countless inextricable ties to the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter.
Could Senior Qingzhu have uncovered some astonishing secret?
Qin Sang pondered, considering various possibilities, but he could arrive at no definitive conclusion.
The shard was of paramount importance to Senior Qingzhu; Ning Wuhui would never hand it over for him to examine at will. With the situation unclear, Qin Sang also had no wish to expose the existence of the grey qi in his dantian.
Only upon meeting Senior Qingzhu would the truth come to light.
He glanced at Ning Wuhui, then walked to the edge of the earthen platform and gazed down into Nether Valley.
If he had the chance to enter alone in the future, he too would like to venture down and see what lay below. But Qin Sang understood that even an external Nascent Soul had struggled so greatly; his own prospects were slim.
Before long, Ning Wuhui finished refining the medicinal efficacy.
Just when Qin Sang thought they would retrace their steps and head elsewhere, Ning Wuhui turned toward a stone wall at one end of Nether Valley. After feeling along it for a moment, he summoned his red-gold spirit sword and slashed an arc of sword qi into the wall.
Immediately, the red-gold spirit sword flared with brilliant light, enveloping the two of them. With a flash, they actually vanished into the stone wall.
The next moment, Qin Sang and Ning Wuhui appeared inside a hall.
Turning his head, Qin Sang was astonished to find that behind him was no stone wall at all, but an ordinary wall. There was no exit on the wall, nor could he sense any ripples of restrictions—it was utterly bizarre.
Right at that moment, the spiritual energy in the void suddenly surged into violent frenzy.
Without the slightest warning, thunder detonated, and in an instant, streaks of flowing light burst forth like meteors, resembling terrifying beams of sword qi that filled the entire chamber, every single one aimed directly at the two of them.
A crushing sword momentum swept over them like a collapsing mountain and a roaring tsunami.
Qin Sang was jolted with dread, his scalp tingling.
Before he could react—
*Clang!*
A crisp, resonant sword chime rang out.
Ning Wuhui tossed his red-gold spirit sword upward. It hovered inverted above his head, spinning rapidly. Its sword radiance flickered on the verge of unleashing, spitting out sword qi like raindrops into the void.
The ringing chime seemed to harmonize with the void itself. As the sword qi merged into the flowing lights, the anomalous phenomenon slowly dissipated, returning to silence.
Qin Sang broke into a cold sweat.
A look of astonishment surfaced in his eyes.
The flowing lights in the void just now were very likely remnants of an ancient restriction in the hall, or perhaps sword intent left behind by an ancient sword cultivator. Triggered by the two uninvited guests, it had blanketed the space to attack the intruders with terrifying momentum.
The instant those beams of sword qi appeared, Qin Sang had felt a stir in his heart—the sword intent contained within them seemed to originate from the same source as the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter.
It was similar to the Ancient Chaotic Sword Hall before the ancient teleportation formation in Ziwei Palace, but its power was even more dreadful. If the sword qi in this hall were to erupt completely, Qin Sang doubted even a Nascent Soul Patriarch could escape unscathed; at the very least, they would be pierced by ten thousand swords and turned into a bloody sieve.
He had just been about to summon the ebony sword to win the sword qi's recognition, but Ning Wuhui had acted a step ahead and neutralized the crisis.
With the sword qi dispersed, the hall returned to normal.
Qin Sang did not dare wander about and observed from where he stood. Ning Wuhui, however, had clearly anticipated this. Looking calm, he sheathed his sword and walked toward the hall's doors.
*What a decrepit grand hall!*
Qin Sang mused inwardly.
From within, the hall was entirely empty and utterly dilapidated. The roof beams were nearly snapped, and the supporting pillars were riddled with cracks, teetering on the verge of collapse. The roof tiles lay askew, and gaps in the damaged ceilings let in the glowing light of the celestial restrictions above.
From the outside, it was hard to imagine just how ruinous it must look.
One of the wooden doors was missing entirely, while the other hung crookedly, on the verge of falling off. It was impossible to tell what kind of spirit wood it had originally been crafted from; now, it was riddled with rot and decayed to useless timber.
"Do not step outside. The moment you cross the threshold, you will be suppressed by the Spirit-Suppressing Domain!"
As Qin Sang reached the doorway, Ning Wuhui raised an arm to block him.
This was Yitian Peak!
Qin Sang dared not take a single step beyond the line. Looking down, he realized this ancient hall was built at the very peak of Yitian Peak, right against the aurora of the immortal restrictions. Outside the doors were several stone steps. Gazing downward revealed an expansive vista; save for a thin mist, his line of sight was almost unobstructed.
Yitian Peak towered tens of thousands of zhang high. Standing here, one could only see part of the mountain's flanks and nothing of the scenery below. Nor would anyone at the foot of the mountain be able to perceive what transpired here.
Looking down over Yitian Peak, his gaze stretched as far as the eye could see.
Within the mountains, stone forests stretched endlessly, punctuated by grand halls, mountain pavilions, and clusters of architecture. There were also several forbidden grounds and secret valleys where the strange light of ancient restrictions flickered erratically—wondrous sights too numerous to count.
One could easily imagine that in bygone days, cultivators on Yitian Peak must have gathered like clouds, presenting an extraordinary spectacle.
Due to the suppression of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, cultivators capable of ascending Yitian Peak were exceedingly few, and no figures of immortal cultivators could be seen. Even so, the two remained extremely cautious, concealing their forms and auras.
"Senior Qingzhu told us to wait for him here?"
Qin Sang withdrew his gaze and asked.
Ning Wuhui nodded and brought out the shard. "He ordered me to wait here. Even if he does not return to this exact spot, he will certainly appear nearby."
"Nearby?"
Qin Sang's gaze swept over the forbidden grounds below, and he asked dubiously, "Senior Qingzhu cannot control his body. If the distance is too great, how can you go out to assist him, Fellow Daoist?"
The suppression of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain was absolute and unforgiving. Without sufficient cultivation, it was impossible to walk out, and an external Nascent Soul fell far short.
Ning Wuhui tapped the shard gently with his fingertip. "This treasure can protect me."
With that, Ning Wuhui tentatively stepped outside.
Just as he had said, the fluctuations of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain showed no reaction. An invisible barrier seemed to wrap around him, shielding him and keeping him completely safe.
Seeing this, Qin Sang felt a stir in his heart.
The grey qi in his dantian seemed closely linked to the shard, likely sharing the same origin. Could it also protect him within the Spirit-Suppressing Domain?
However, with Ning Wuhui right beside him, Qin Sang held back and did not test it.
Ning Wuhui investigated outside for a while before returning to the hall doorway. He sat down cross-legged and channeled his true essence to refine the shard. Qin Sang also sat cross-legged to one side, pondered in silence for a moment, and entered meditation to quietly await Senior Qingzhu.
……
Guarding Su Nü, the three Business Alliance chiefs slipped quietly through the Spirit-Suppressing Domain and arrived at the foot of Yitian Peak.
There were virtually never any immortal cultivators on Yitian Peak; if one did appear, they were bound to be a top expert. Thus, they did not dare relax in the slightest, concealing their auras with all their might to avoid inadvertently exposing their tracks.
Fortunately, all three were renowned experts with profound cultivation. They moved like the wind and masked their presence exceptionally well.
The mountain path was long.
They sped straight toward the summit, passing multiple secret realms along the way without slowing their pace in the least.
Finally, as they neared the aurora of the immortal restrictions, they came to a halt at the entrance of a secluded mountain hollow.
The three chiefs exchanged glances, deep apprehension flickering in their eyes.
Su Nü's face was as pale as death. Unable even to take her own life, she was powerless to resist, waiting for her fate to arrive.
Chapter 1064